The Mute Unicorn
by LoverofChrist
Summary: We all know her from the show. But why has she never spoken a word? What could have caused this in her? (WARNING: Contains graphic descriptions of severe physical and emotional abuse).
1. Chapter 1: Hurt Yet Hopeful

**CONTENT WARNING: This story contains graphic descriptions of severe physical and emotional abuse. If you are sensitive to that sort of thing, proceed with caution.**

One day, on two completely opposite sides of Equestria, two little fillies took their first breaths. One was born to Earth pony parents who had eagerly prepared for her arrival. The whole neighborhood cooed over the new little one and threw a huge party for her parents.

Meanwhile the second filly opened her eyes in a messy Canterlot hospital bed with her mother's weak forelegs around her. The dying unicorn kissed her child farewell and laid the little one down beside her before breathing her last. The baby's father wasn't even present—he was downstairs flirting with a very curvaceous pony nurse who had caught his eye.

Both fillies were destined to have very different childhoods.

* * *

"No, Momma! Not again! Please!" The little unicorn filly huddled fearfully in the corner. She only reluctantly referred to her father's girlfriend as "Momma" but figured it was better than yet another beating. But right now all that was forgotten as she stared fearfully at the baseball bat the unicorn mare was levitating.

The mare laughed. "Half-Beat, you haven't been a good girl. I saw you splashed from the bathtub again."

"I'm sorry! It was an accident! I slipped! I won't do it again! I'm sorry!" The little one squeaked in terror and covered her eyes as the baseball bat swept dangerously close.

"Do something for you and I won't beat you," the mare smirked. She let the bat fall to the floor. "Pick it up,"

Half-Beat hesitantly reached her little hooves for it.

"With your magic, stupid!" the mare snapped.

Half-Beat cringed in anticipation of the beating that was coming. She knew as well as this disgraceful mare who called herself Half-Beat's adopted mother that her magic was no good. Her parents never taught her, and most of the teachers in her school were Earth ponies who didn't know the first thing about magic. But maybe, she reasoned, I can do it this time. She gritted her teeth in concentration and lit her horn.

To her excitement, the broom lit up too—and promptly the glow vanished. Panicking, Half-Beat tried again and again but to no avail.

The mare watched in evil triumph. "You can't do it, huh? Well, time for the punishment!" She picked up the bat.

At that moment the front door opened and Half-Beat's father stumbled in. He obviously had visited yet another speakeasy—an action that could get him arrested but a habit in which he persisted. When he was this drunk, Half-Beat usually gave him plenty of room, but right now she was desperate. She ran to him frantically. "Daddy! Momma's trying to beat me again!"

"She splashed from the tub, sugar," the mare said in a sugary tone.

"Did she now?" drawled the stallion, looking down with bloodshot eyes at his daughter. Half-Beat began to shake with the realization. There was no escape for her here.

Suddenly her father's rough hooves grabbed her and flung her against the back of the couch. "Teach her a lesson then, dearie!"

Half-Beat tried to scramble out of the way, but she was never fast enough. The baseball bat found its mark on her hind leg. She screamed in pain. The blows continued; the filly could do nothing but cry, screaming again each time the bat came down. When would it ever end?

* * *

She barely dragged herself to school the next day. Her bruises from last night's beating were at least mostly hidden by her pure white fur. Unfortunately, her black eyes still hadn't healed; she'd have to wear her sunglasses again, all day. And just so her parents wouldn't get in trouble. Half-Beat was more scared of being on her own than staying with her abusive father and…step-mother. She didn't even like to think that word about the mare who hit her and screamed at her and made her go to bed without eating.

Sounds of a crowd down the street caught her attention. Ponies were gathering around a group of royal guards and what looked like a carriage that had lost a wheel going through a pothole. Curious, Half-Beat walked a little closer—and her jaw dropped.

The newly crowned Princess Cadence herself was there, obviously waiting for the carriage to be fixed. Half-Beat stood there in awe, her painful bruises momentarily forgotten. Princess Cadence was rumored to be the sweetest and most compassionate of all three princesses. Half-Beat had heard about her. Even before she had been crowned by Princess Celestia, she had cared for fillies in her home village. Now that she was a princess, she planned to start an orphanage for little fillies and colts who had lost their parents.

Suddenly an idea occurred to little Half-Beat. Surely a princess who loved fillies so much would help a little filly who was beaten every night. Right?

"Princess!" The little unicorn dashed down the street. "Princess Cadence! Your Highness!"

Pegasi guards immediately blocked the little filly's way, but they halted at Cadence's command. "It's alright, guards! She's just a little filly. No need for alarm." The guards bowed reluctantly and stepped aside. Cadence looked down at Half-Beat with a gentle smile. "Hello, little one. What's your name?"

"Half-Beat, Your Highness." The unicorn bowed as low as she could.

"What can I do for you, Half-Beat?"

The filly suddenly realized she had no idea how to make a petition of a princess. And this was definitely a serious request to be making. She could end up separated from her daddy and his current girlfriend—not that that was a bad thing. On the other hoof, if she said nothing and went home, Daddy would find out somehow. He always did. And Half-Beat knew that that would become the worst night of her life if he found out.

"My daddy is mean to me," she whispered.

Cadence half frowned. "What do you mean?"

"He keeps getting new girlfriends and he keeps drinking that illegal stuff." Half-Beat cringed in expectation of a rebuke or an accusation of lying. To her surprise, neither came. Cadence simply looked more and more concerned. "Please, go on."

"If I'm bad he hits me and his girlfriend does too. I'm scared to get bad grades in school or splash from the bathtub or make too much noise when I play."

Cadence raised a hoof. "Sweetheart, can you take your glasses off for me?" she asked gently.

Half-Beat panicked and took a step backwards. "N-no, please don't make me."

"You heard the princess!" one of the guards ordered. He shut his mouth when Cadence shot him a look of disgust. "Listen, honey," she coaxed. "I just want to make sure you're okay. Just take your glasses off for a second."

Half-Beat reluctantly knocked off her glasses with her hoof, exposing her swollen black eyes. One was half-healed; the other had been created by the baseball bat the previous night. Cadence gasped in horror and a small tear formed in her eye. "I'm so sorry, dear," she empathized. She lost herself in thought for a moment before an idea occurred to her. "Listen. Tonight I'll have Auntie Celestia send some royal guards to your house to talk to your daddy. They'll see if he can still take care of you if he hurts you like this."

"Will I have to leave?" Half-Beat asked anxiously.

"I don't know. We'll know tonight." Cadence tried to smile. "Don't tell your daddy the guards are coming, okay?"

"Yes, princess."

Without warning Cadence pulled the little filly into a tight hug. "It'll be okay. I promise."

Half-Beat smiled for the first time in weeks as a tiny sliver of hope began to glow.


	2. Chapter 2: Hopes Dashed

**WARNING: The intensity in this chapter is worse than the first. I suggest readers proceed with much caution.**

"Where have you been, you little brat?!" roared Half-Beat's father.

The little filly winced and tried to hide behind the door. Usually she came home from school to an empty house. This time was the exception.

"School, Daddy," she whispered.

"What did you do, walk halfway around Equestria before you got back here?! Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

The clock on the wall read two-thirty, very early for Half-Beat to be home already. But her father wasn't interested in that. "Listen, you bowlegged thing. Your momma went shopping and she won't want to put her things away. You'll do it for her. And you better not drop any groceries again or I swear you'll never sit down for a week!"

Quaking in terror, the filly nodded and stared at the clock, willing it to move faster. When would the royal guards ever get here?

When her father fell into a drunken stupor on the couch, Half-Beat breathed a sigh of relief. At last she could do her homework without worrying about being "too loud" or "in the way". As she spread out her books she developed a plan. Normally when her father had company, he would lock Half-Beat in a back room and claim she was with a friend, or at the park, or doing detention, or whatever. Anything to keep the clearly abused little one from being seen by the visitor. He would probably do the same when the royal guards knocked tonight. But this time she wouldn't stay quiet like she normally did, out of fear of what her father might do to her later if she made a sound. This time she would scream and kick and raise a ruckus. The guards would be sure to find her then, and she would finally be free from her terror.

With this plan, she bent her head quietly over a book on unicorn magic.

About two hours later, the front door slammed and Half-Beat heard several shopping bags hit the floor. "Half-Beat, where are you?!" her father's girlfriend shrieked. "Get up here and get the groceries put away!" The terrified Half-Beat scrambled to obey.

Meanwhile the mare wandered into the living room and nuzzled the sleeping stallion, who glanced up groggily, saliva dripping from his mouth. Half-Beat entered the kitchen at this point and could no longer see what they were doing. Probably for the better, she figured. She had walked in on them once—Celestia knew what they were doing—and her father had yelled at her to get out and hoof-punched her until she made her escape. It was best to focus on the groceries for now.

After a few minutes of struggling to put away food with hooves, Half-Beat had an idea. She had been reading about unicorn magic. Maybe she could use it to help with this chore. Carefully lighting her horn, she levitated a jar of peanut butter. "Well, that's not so bad," she thought and tried to move the jar toward the cabinet.

Her father stomping into the kitchen startled her out of her concentration. Losing her magical grip, she watched in horror as the glass jar fell and shattered on the floor. It would be hard to clean up such a sticky mess, but that was the least of her worries. Her ears drooped and she began to cry as her father approached her with eyes full of rage. "Daddy, please! I didn't mean to do it!"

"You haven't meant to do much lately!" her father growled. His teeth closed around the nape of her neck and he dragged her out to the living room. "Sugar, any ideas on how to discipline this little brat of yours?"

"Mine!? She's YOUR stupid daughter!" the mare snapped.

Half-Beat sobbed into her hooves. "Momma, Daddy, please—I'll be good! I promise, I'll be good!"

"I sure am gettin' tired of hearing that." The mare shoved a hoof under the filly's chin and stroked her exposed throat. "You know, there's one place we never hit her before. Gimme that bat."

Terrified for her life now, Half-Beat struggled with strength she didn't know she had. But she was no match for her father. Holding the screaming child down, he levitated the bat to his girlfriend. She took the weapon in her own magical grip and smirked down at Half-Beat.

"No," Half-Beat gasped, choking on her own tears. "Please, no…"

THWACK!

Excruciating pain tore through the filly's throat. She tried to scream but couldn't. She could hardly breathe. After a second her chest heaved and her lungs filled again, and she tried again to scream for help. But no sound came. Horrified realization dawned on her. She knew enough biology to know her voicebox was in her throat. And if that had been hit…

Oh no.

"I doubt we'll hear any more whining out of her," the wicked mare laughed.

Apparently through, the two left Half-Beat stunned on the floor and wandered into another room. The filly tried to process what had just happened.

Would she ever speak again?

"Curses! Guards are comin'!" she heard her father shout. Once again his teeth clenched around her sore neck and dragged her into the furthest back closet in the house. The door slammed, leaving her in complete darkness, and a chair was shoved against the door.

"Now don't you make a sound, you good-for-nothing bowleg!"

But Half-Beat had no intention to obey. She could vaguely hear her father and step-mother speaking to the royal guards. Their voices were actually polite, she noted in surprise. That was a first. Those guards have to find me, she thought, getting back on track. She drew breath, opened her mouth, and…

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't so much as moan. Whatever that bat had done, it had hurt her badly. She couldn't make a sound.

Desperate, she banged her hooves against the door. She grabbed boxes from the dark corners and flung then against the door. She rattled the knob. She did everything she could. But nothing worked; soon she heard the royal guards leaving.

Her hopes dashed, Half-Beat curled up in the dark closet and sobbed silently into her tangled mane. She was trapped. It seemed not even Princess Cadence could help her now.


	3. Chapter 3: Rescued

**OK, so sorry for the long hiatus. Had a lot of stuff going on, including college now! :D**

 **Also, PLEASE no arguing over this story in the comments. I know it has its flaws. But I am really pouring my heart into this story and am building to a climax that I think will make my readers tear up with joy. :')**

 **Lastly, one commenter mentioned that Half-Beat may be sexually abused in the future. I considered including that element of abuse but decided against it out of respect to those who truly suffered that abuse. Readers may imagine any kind of abuse going on that I left out. But I did not write this story to detail horrific abuse. I wrote it to develop a character.**

 **With that in mind, enjoy!**

Little Half-Beat felt around in the dark closet, searching for something she knew she'd hidden in there. Finally her little hooves closed around it and she half-smiled. She contentedly buried her nose in a small stuffed rabbit a teacher had given her for Hearth's Warming last year. Though the toy was dusty from being in the closet, it still smelled faintly of her teacher's rose perfume.

Half-Beat smiled at the memory. Since her Hearth's Warmings at home were never very fun, she relished the celebrations at school every twelfth moon. The teachers always brought sugar cookies and egg nog for the classes, and one in particular always brought gifts. She had been Half-Beat's favorite. Her name was Rose Magic, and she always wore that rose-scented perfume. Her mane was always neatly brushed even though the smoggy downtown Canterlot atmosphere usually mussed up Half-Beat's mane. Somehow Rose Magic had been immune. Last year she had brought the best presents ever: stuffed animals. Half-Beat had immediately hidden hers to ensure her father wouldn't destroy it. Every now and again she would sneak a few minutes with the rabbit just to remind herself not all mares were bad.

Of course, it was getting harder and harder to believe.

Shouting from the living room jerked her out of her thoughts. Her father and his girlfriend were bickering fiercely now that the guards were gone. Probably about what to do now that they were suspected, Half-Beat thought.

"How can I get a stupid job when the freaking princess knows about the little brat?!" her father shouted.

"As if! You never worked a day in your drunken life! It should be illegal for a mare to bring home the money while the stallion idles all day! We aren't even married and I still do all the work!"

"Who babysits that rag doll while you're spending all the money on manestylists?!"

"Oh, this is silly!" the mare interrupted suddenly. "The problem is HER. I say we teach her another lesson."

Quickly Half-Beat hid the stuffed rabbit in one of the boxes and tried to steel herself for the inevitable.

The closet door banged open abruptly and two pairs of hooves dragged the shaking child to the living room. "You told them to come here, didn't you?!" her father demanded. He gripped Half-Beat's mane tightly in his magical grip and yanked. The miserable filly couldn't even scream anymore.

"I think it's time we show this little brat what happens when she's a bad girl," suggested the mare with an evil smile.

Half-Beat wiped away silent tears and closed her eyes, shaking in terror. This was it. She was going to die.

At that instant the front door slammed open and royal guards poured through. Half-Beat's parents cursed them and tried to run but were quickly seized. It was a chaotic scene, but to the badly beaten little filly, the guards were knights in shining armor. The last thing she remembered was two of them laying down a stretcher next to her, assuring her in gentle tones she would be alright.

Then everything went black.

* * *

Her eyes opened on an unfamiliar scene. She was lying in a huge, soft bed with pure white sheets and a sky blue quilt. A window displayed a third-story view of a busy Canterlot street far below. Next to the bed was a small table containing a glass of what looked like milk. A closed door stood silently on the far wall.

More curious than anxious, Half-Beat sat up in bed to get a better look. Feeling something beside her, she looked down and almost jumped in joy. Whoever had brought her here had found her little stuffed bunny. Hugging the animal to herself with one foreleg, she slid out of bed.

Just then the door opened and a white Earth pony with a red cross for a cutie mark stepped into the room. "Ah, you're awake," she smiled. "My name is Nurse Redheart. Welcome to Canterlot Hospital for Fillies and Colts. How are you feeling?"

Half-Beat's ears drooped as she remembered she couldn't answer the nurse. Seeming to remember this, Nurse Redheart smiled. "Well, no matter. We'll get somepony up here later to help you communicate with us." She stepped briefly into the hall and returned carrying a saucer of cookies. "Hungry?"

Half-Beat's eyes widened at the treat and she looked up at the nurse in surprise. It had been a long time since anypony had offered her such a tasty snack.

The nurse chuckled gently. "It's okay, honey. My colleagues thought you might like something sweet." She set the plate down by the glass of milk. "Go ahead."

Still hesitant, Half-Beat sniffed one of the cookies cautiously. It smelled so amazing she grabbed it in her mouth and chewed vigorously. Oh, the wonderful feeling of a sweet in her mouth! She had not felt so happy in a long time. She grabbed another cookie and chewed harder.

Nurse Redheart laughed with delight and then grew serious. "Now, about your father."

Half-Beat stopped mid chew and held her breath apprehensively.

The nurse sighed. "Those royal guards caught him and his girlfriend in the very act of abusing you. Both of them have been arrested and are due to stand trial before the princesses in about a week. They'll probably end up in prison for a very long time. But even if they don't—and that'd have to take a miracle—I just want you to know, honey, that they won't be allowed near you ever again. They can't hurt you anymore. Not ever."

Half-Beat swallowed, crumbs all over her muzzle. Her emotions were mixed. On the one hoof, now she was safe. But on the other hoof, where could she go now? Who would take in a frightened little filly who couldn't even speak?

The nurse knelt on the floor till she was eye level with the little one. "Sweetie, don't worry. You'll be here with us for a few days so we can make sure you're okay. After that, we'll start interviewing ponies to take care of you. Nothing bad is gonna happen. Okay?"

Half-Beat nodded and wiped her muzzle.


	4. Chapter 4: Learning

Those few days in the hospital ended up being some of the best days of little Half-Beat's life. The nurses adored her. Many of them were mothers with fillies at home, and it seemed the silent unicorn in the empty hospital room reminded them of their own children. At first the timid child was somewhat afraid of the nurses, not sure if they were good or not. Her experience with her parents had taught her to be suspicious of grown-ups. But overtime, through gifts, playtime, and loving care, the hospital staff earned Half-Beat's trust. For the second time she could remember, Half-Beat experienced real love.

That was not a typo: the second time. Princess Cadence had been the first. Every now and then the unicorn remembered the princess who had taken pity on her and wished to see her again.

* * *

"There you go, honey," one of the nurses, a unicorn, stated happily as she finished brushing the two-toned blue mane. She levitated a small mirror in front of the child. "Take a look!"

Half-Beat stared at herself in awe. Her mane was beautiful! The split ends had been clipped off and the tangles carefully combed smooth. The filly smiled with delight and hugged the nurse.

"And I believe you have a visitor," the nurse added with a wink. "Somepony you'll love to see."

Intrigued, Half-Beat grinned in anticipation as the nurse left to bring in the visitor. About ten minutes later a knock came at the door and a gold-shoed hoof pushed it open.

If the filly could have screamed in delight, she would have. Princess Cadence! Before she could even bow the princess was hugging her tightly. "Hello, sweetie! How have you been?"

Unable to vocally reply, Half-Beat simply nuzzled the princess happily. Her mane smelled like roses.

Cadence gently pushed the child away and smiled sadly. "That's right, you can't talk anymore. But you know what? There's more ways you can have fun and make friends without talking. Here!" She opened a saddlebag she'd brought along and levitated out a notebook and some crayons and pencils. "Do you like to draw?"

Half-Beat nodded excitedly and the princess laughed. "Me too! Why don't you draw what you want your cutie mark to look like?"

The filly could easily have filled a notebook with that idea. Finally she settled on an acoustic guitar, her favorite instrument. She gripped a pencil in her mouth until the princess gently extended a hoof to stop her.

"Use your magic, sweetheart," Cadence intervened.

Half-Beat frowned. Her basic motors skills involving her magic still were significantly lacking. Cadence smiled. "It's okay if you don't do well the first time. Just keep trying. Just imagine the shape you want the pencil to draw."

The little filly concentrated hard and managed to levitate the pencil. Delighted, she imagined the vague outline of a guitar. The pencil moved toward the paper—then fell on the floor. Half-Beat was frustrated. Magic was harder than it looked.

"Don't worry," Cadence smiled, "all unicorns have trouble learning to use magic. Just keep trying."

Literally hours passed of the frustrated child and the extremely patient princess practicing basic magic skills. But it was finally worth it. Little Half-Beat gazed in pride at the papers spread across her floor. Most were covered in shaky scribbles, products of her unpracticed magic and a horn that had not been maintained. But a few—the more recent ones—held actual pictures. With a little imagination, a viewer could see an acoustic guitar on one and a drawing of a pair of sunglasses on the other. Still other papers were covered in attempts at writing with magic. One in particular was covered in Half-Beat's name, starting clumsily at the top and slowly growing neater and neater as it approached the edge of the paper.

Cadence gave the little filly a big hug. "You're a good girl, Half-Beat. Keep practicing and soon your magic will be great." The happy filly hugged the princess back.

But not all of her time at the hospital was happy.

* * *

As sunlight began to stream into the room, a songbird chirped outside the window. Half-Beat lazily opened one eye. Nothing big was happening today; she could sleep a little longer. As the bird continued to chirp Half-Beat grimaced in exasperation and pressed the pillow over her ears.

But the pillow couldn't muffle the crash of the opening door slamming into the wall. Startled awake, the filly looked up—and her blood turned to ice.

Her father, once again looking drunk and angry, stumbled into her room. "There ya are, you little brat!"

"Help!" Half-Beat screamed before pausing, shocked. Had she just spoken?

"Get back here!" The stallion leapt onto her bed and growled at her.

In panic mode now, Half-Beat struggled to open the window and escape. She just kept screaming, "Help! Somepony! Anypony! Save me!"

"Wake up, dear! It's just a dream!"

Shaking violently, Half-Beat opened her eyes to find a nurse standing over her, looking very concerned. "Are you alright?"

Once again mute, the unicorn shook her head shakily and glanced around the room. Quickly she grabbed paper and a crayon off her table. The nurses had given it to her so she could color, but now she had to write. Gripping the crayon in her mouth, too shaken to use magic, she wrote "BAD DREAM" in shaky letters on the paper and held it up for the nurse to see.

"Oh, honey…" The nurse reached out to stroke Half-Beat's mane. "I'm right here. You'll be okay." She brightened. "Maybe somepony can help you with your nightmares."

Puzzled, Half-Beat wondered what a nurse could possibly do. After all, a dream was a dream—just a vapor that disappeared in the morning. Nopony could do anything about a dream.

Right?


	5. Chapter 5: The Aftermath

**VERY sorry for the hiatus guys! Got busy with other stuff. Anyway, here you go! Enjoy!**

"Okay sweetie, here's your magic project for the day." The newest transfer nurse, a pale pink unicorn with lavender curls, set a sheet of paper and some markers in front of little Half-Beat. "Princess Cadence said she didn't have anything specific she wanted you to practice, so you can just draw as much as you want!" The nurse chuckled. "You know, you're a very lucky little filly. The princess really cares for you."

Half-Beat nodded happily and levitated one of the markers. What should it be today?

Both looked up at the sound of a knock at the door. "Come in," the nurse called.

An Earth pony stallion Half-Beat didn't recognize entered the room. "Excuse me," he apologized. "I'm Onyx Justice—did the nurses tell you about me?"

The nurse raised an eyebrow. "You're the lawyer?"

"Yes, ma'am." Onyx Justice smiled down at Half-Beat. "I just wanted to ask you a few questions, okay?"

"You know she can't talk anymore," the nurse pointed out.

"But she can write." The stallion laid nearly flat on the floor to be at Half-Beat's eye level. "I need to know some things about your daddy, okay? Can you just write your answers down for me?"

Hesitant, the filly glanced back up at the nurse. Onyx noticed this nervous exchange. "Don't worry, you can have your friend stay," he assured her. "Now, honey, I need you to tell me the truth. Okay?"

Half-Beat nodded and swallowed. This would be hard.

"Princess Cadence says when she first met you, you had two black eyes and were walking as if you had just been beaten. What happened before she saw you?"

Half-Beat cringed, half-feeling the blows on her tiny body again. She had almost successfully purged that horrible night from the front of her mind. Now it was back.

Onyx noticed her distress. "I know it's hard. But if you can just tell me, it'll be easier for me to make sure your daddy can't hurt you again. Can you just try?"

Reluctantly the little unicorn's magic picked up a marker and clumsily wrote "Hit with baseball bat".

Onyx sighed. "I'm sorry, dear." He made some notes in a pad he was carrying. "The princess also said you told her your dad drinks illegally? Are you sure it's not the legal stuff?"

Even Half-Beat understood the difference was important. Three different kinds of cider existed in Equestria: normal cider like the apple farmers made every year, hard cider that could give a pony a brief buzz but was still weak, and the heavily alcohol-infused cider that was illegal under Princess Celestia's laws: blood cider, as many called it. Only the shadiest places served blood cider, and then only in secrecy to avoid discovery. But Half-Beat knew her father had been visiting the blood cider speakeasies. No amount of hard cider could have made him so disturbed and violent toward her. Besides, she had seen the legal cider her step-mother drank, and she had seen the illegal cider her father would sneak home. The difference was clear.

She levitated the pencil again. "Certain it was illegal blood cider. Very mean when he drank it. Also I saw the legal stuff and the bad stuff Daddy brought home. Very different."

Onyx made more notes. "I'm amazed you knew to call it blood cider."

He set the pad down and looked her straight in the eyes. "Alright honey, this is probably the most serious question I have for you right now. If your father gets out of prison before you're legally a grown mare, he still won't be able to come near you unless you let him. The same goes for your step-mother. Even if both of them avoided prison—and I doubt they will—they can't demand you back. But the laws of Equestria allow for the child to be returned if he strongly desires to go back and if his parents avoid severe legal repercussions. The question is: if your father gets out of jail while you're still young, do you want to go back to him?

Half-Beat didn't even take time to consider before levitating her marker and writing two large, decisive letters on the paper.

"NO."

Onyx nodded gravely. "I understand." He considered for a moment. "Half-Beat, you don't seem to have a place to go after you leave the hospital. When the nurses let you go, would you like to come home with me?"

Half-Beat curled into a protective ball on the floor. This stallion seemed nice, but she still had a hard time trusting anypony who was a grown-up. Especially stallions.

"You wouldn't be alone," Onyx Justice promised. "My wife Pearl and my daughter Octavia would be happy to take care of you."

One of the filly's ears snapped to attention. Another filly to play with?

"Well, just have the nurses contact me if you decide." Onyx nodded to the silent unicorn nurse, who had been standing nearby the whole time. "I appreciate you letting me talk with her. I'll keep the staff updated on the case." He paused and lowered his voice, but Half-Beat could still hear him. "So if nopony comes to claim her, what happens to her?"

"If nopony takes her in, the city of Canterlot will assume custody of her and she'll be in an institution until somepony decides to claim her." The nurse sighed. "I'd hate to see that happen. If you or anypony else are willing to foster her after the case is over, please tell one of us. Otherwise one of us might take her. I've already got several kids, but I would take her myself if necessary to keep her out of institutionalized foster care."

"Then I may have to fight you for her." Onyx chuckled.

* * *

"Half-Beat? Half-Beat, wake up!"

Half-Beat groggily brushed her hair out of her eyes and was immediately blinded by sunlight. Wow, she must have slept later than she'd planned to.

Nurse Redheart pulled the blinds down and dampened the sunlight. "There, that's better. Now Half-Beat, I have some news." She sat down on the bed. "Your father and step-mother stood trial before Princess Celestia today. Both are in prison now and will be there until you're a grown mare. They can't ever take you back."

The filly smiled but her smile quickly faded as the nurse continued, "That's not all. When the trial was over Onyx Justice asked the princesses if he could foster and possibly adopt you. Celestia gave him permission. He'll be coming with his wife to pick you up tonight."

Half-Beat began trotting in nervous circles. This hospital was her safe place. How could she just up and leave?

Redheart smoothed the little one's mane. "I'm sad to see you go too, sweetie. But if Celestia thinks Onyx could do a good job taking care of you, he must be a good pony." She pulled Half-Beat into a hug. "And I'm always available if you need me, dear."

Half-Beat hugged her back and half smiled. Maybe this new house wouldn't be so bad. After all, Onyx did have a filly. Plus their house was right here in Canterlot. Things couldn't be too bad.


	6. Chapter 6: Dreams, Memories, Stories

**Kudos to any reader who can a) identify the song Pearl sings and b) identify the story she tells!**

Evening arrived far too soon. Half-Beat waited on the bed, hugging her little bunny and waiting for Onyx to arrive.

At long last, the dreaded knock came at the door. But instead of the Earth pony lawyer the little unicorn had expected, an Earth pony mare made her way in. She was pretty, with a soft charcoal coat and jet-black mane in a neat braid, and gentle purple eyes that sparkled at Half-Beat. She smiled—a smile Half-Beat had seen before on Princess Cadence. Immediately her fear was gone. She knew that smile came from genuine love, and that this mare was for real.

"Hi sweetie," the mare cooed. "I'm Pearl, and I'm here to take you home."

"Is she in there, mother?" a filly asked from the hall. The one who had spoken soon squeezed past her mother into the room, and Half-Beat's smile grew. So this was Octavia. She was just as pretty as her mother, and carried herself with a prim and proper air. Half-Beat inwardly chuckled. This mare would make a great playmate, as well as a potential target for pranks later. (Half-Beat was NOT prim and proper!)

"Let's go!" Pearl intoned. "Onyx will be back from work soon and then we can have a little party for Half-Beat here." The mare crossed the room and lifted the unicorn filly onto her back for a ride.

The streets of Canterlot were muggy and dirty, as always, but Half-Beat didn't care. She was riding on an Earth pony who already felt like her mother, with an excited little filly to talk with (or rather just listen to), her beloved stuffed rabbit safe in her hooves, and the promise of a new home. Things couldn't be looking any better.

"Here we are!" Pearl announced as Octavia pushed open the door of a very nice house.

Octavia trotted in place by the door. "I made a room for you," she told Half-Beat calmly but excitedly.

Half-Beat's jaw dropped as she followed Octavia through the beautiful sitting room and up a huge flight of stairs to a hallway lined with more doors than she had ever seen in one place her whole life. Octavia trotted toward a door with a hoof-drawn cello picture taped to it and pushed the door open. "This is my room. I cleaned out the room next to it for you." She pointed to the next door, which had a pink heart drawing taped to it.

Half-Beat opened the door with her magic and blinked in surprise. But almost immediately she smiled, overcome with joy. This room was so much nicer than the one her step-mother had made her sleep in. She had a soft bed covered in adorable quilts, a shelf full of picture books, a crate full of new stuffed animals, and even…what was that?

Half-Beat frowned in confusion as she investigated this new thing. It looked like a little table, but unlike any table she'd ever seen. It had two big black circles on it and a whole bunch of switches and flips. And it was all so brightly colored! The table itself was neon blue and the buttons came in every color of the rainbow.

One of her little hooves brushed one of the black circles, and produced such a loud hum that Half-Beat started. Okay, this was definitely new. She cautiously touched the disk again, this time rubbing it with her hoof, and the hum came out more controlled. A little more experimentation taught her that the blue switch would lower the hum's pitch, and the orange one would increase the pitch, while the pedal produced a drum sound, etc.

The unicorn lost herself in this amazing new toy until she heard Pearl knocking on Octavia's door. "Girls, come for dinner!"

The mare peered into Half-Beat's room. "You found the turntable! Do you like it?"

Half-Beat nodded eagerly and Pearl chuckled. "I'm glad. Octavia really wanted me to get you something to play music with, but I didn't know what you would like. Looks like this was perfect. Can you play anything on it yet?"

Half-Beat shook her head and shrugged.

"Well, you can play with it more tonight. Come have some dinner first."

* * *

The filly hiccupped again and snuggled deeper under her blankets. She hadn't meant to eat so much, but everything was just so good. For a little filly who grew up surviving on cheap processed food and frozen dinners, anything was good, but this had been wonderful. Crisp green salad, creamy alfredo pasta, and a huge bowl of ice cream—what more could a filly want?

Pearl grasped the blanket in her mouth and tucked Half-Beat into bed. "Do you want to hear a story, Half-Beat?"

Half-Beat nodded and smiled.

Pearl thought for a moment. "Okay. This story is about a colt and a filly who went to visit their strange great-uncle in the mountains of the Unicorn Range. But little did they know what strange things awaited them there…"

Little Half-Beat listened in awe as Pearl described how the colt found a mysterious book emblazoned with a golden horseshoe, the mysteries that began to unfold, the tribe of tiny ponies who tried to kidnap the filly, how her brother tried to save her, and how the tiny ponies suddenly merged into an enormous Clydesdale that pursued the siblings far through the mountains…

"…so together they pulled back the slingshot and sent the unlucky tiny pony flying right into the middle of the monster's belly, and the tiny creatures were scattered everywhere. One of them screamed promises of revenge. But the brother and sister were too happy to be back together to worry about the tiny monsters." Pearl smiled. "And that was just the start of their adventures. Maybe tomorrow night I can tell you about how they discovered a monster in the lakes at the foot of the mountains."

Half-Beat nodded, excited for the next story, but tired in the meantime. Pearl kissed the filly at the base of her horn. She began to hum and quietly sang a lullaby as Half-Beat's eyes closed. "Rest now, my warrior…rest now, your hardship is over..."

* * *

"What are you doing, you little brat?!"

Half-Beat tried to hide the half-eaten cupcake but it was too late. Her father pinned the terrified, struggling filly to the floor with a hoof on her chest. "You know those are off-limits to you!"

"I'm sorry Daddy! I'm just so hungry!" the filly wailed.

"You wouldn't be hungry if you hadn't splashed from the tub this afternoon and didn't get any supper!"

"Please, Daddy—!"

Her father's hoof raised high, preparing to strike. Half-Beat sobbed and covered her face with her hooves, knowing full well what was coming.

But suddenly the whole scene froze and everything turned ice-blue. "Enough!" shouted an authoritative female voice.

The nightmare faded into a backdrop of inky black spotted with diamond stars, and lit by a full moon. Half-Beat was truly bewildered. What was going on?

The moon suddenly lit up, light radiating from it as from spotlights, and Half-Beat had to shield her eyes. When she could look again, the sight stunned her. An alicorn stood there—an alicorn like Princess Celestia, but this wasn't anypony Half-Beat had seen before. She was shorter than Celestia, and both her coat and mane were a beautiful dark blue. Stars winked from her flowing mane and tail. A crescent moon gleamed on her black-splotched flank, and two kind eyes looked down at the filly.

Half-Beat frowned. This was a dream, she figured, so she might as well talk to this newcomer. "Who are you? What happened?"

"My name is Princess Luna. I am the princess of the night. Therefore it is my duty to come into your dreams."

"But…I thought we only had Princess Celestia!"

Luna smiled bittersweetly. "Celestia is my sister. A thousand years ago we ruled Equestria together, until I let jealousy in me turn to dark magic and corrupt me. My sister imprisoned me in the moon, where I still remain until the day of my return. But all is not lost. Celestia granted that I could continue to help ponies in their dreams, but only when the moon is at its fullest and the dark magic is weakest. Any other time I am still a prisoner."

"What are you doing here?"

Luna took a few steps closer to the filly. "I can't enter dreams until the moon is full, young one. But as the moon grows, I can observe certain dreams. And I have observed yours. Tell me, child: are these dreams only dreams, or are they something more?"

Half-Beat closed her eyes. "They're memories, Princess."

Luna placed a hoof under the filly's chin. "My power is still limited, but I can help you somewhat. You must remember one thing. These nightmares are terrible, but they disappear when my sister's sunlight comes to view. You will never experience any of that again, ever, my child."

"I know, princess." Half-Beat's lips quivered. "But I don't want to have nightmares anymore."

"I cannot stop your nightmares. Only you can. The only way to stop terror in the night is to face what you fear the most. Your fears must be faced, or the nightmares will continue."

"Face my fear?" Half-Beat looked up. "How can I?"

Luna nodded toward her. "What is it you fear the most?"

Half-Beat looked at her hooves. "I'm afraid my father will still want to hurt me even when he gets out of prison."

Luna rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I see. You may not be able to overcome this fear for a while yet."

Without warning a powerful wind swept through the dreamscape. Every star was swept from the sky, and Luna suddenly appeared fearful. "I must go now. My time is up."

"Wait!" Half-Beat darted toward the princess. "Will I ever see you again?"

"When the moon is full, my child."

A comforting hoof pulled the little filly to the princess's chest, holding her tightly, as Luna's image faded little by little.

Half-Beat suddenly opened her eyes, startled. Sunlight streamed through her window. Morning already? And her dream…it seemed so real…


	7. Chapter 7: Pearl's Promise

Hey all! Sorry for the incredibly long delay! Hopefully I haven't lost all my readers. :P So on the one-year anniversary of the previous chapter (wow! this is overdue) I have a new, albeit short, chapter for y'all. I liked to imagine that Pearl, being married to a lawyer, has seen her fair share of abused fillies and is keeping that in mind with how she treats Half-Beat. And for the two people who have no idea what I'm talking about, yes, Half-Beat does grow up to become DJ PON-3/Vinyl Scratch. :P Anyhow,

* * *

"I see the book!"

Octavia tottered precariously on her bedroom bookshelf, braced against it with nothing but her bare hooves. "Almost…"

Half-Beat raised an eyebrow and lit her horn. Octavia shook her head emphatically. "No! I've got it—YIKES!"

Half-Beat dove out of the way as the bookcase plunged forward. Just before it hit the floor blue magic enveloped the bookcase and the filly still clinging to it. A very smug unicorn filly righted the bookcase and pulled Octavia to the floor before releasing her magical grip.

Octavia chuckled sheepishly. "I…well…perhaps your magic would be best."

With a cocky nod, Half-Beat picked up the enormously thick book in her magic and levitated it down to the floor. A crimson cover, faded with age and dust, featured three golden horseshoes connected together in a chain. The title was in bold block letters: "GRAVITY FOALS".

"Mother used to read to me from this book all the time! I know all the stories in it by heart." Octavia lifted the heavy cover and blew the dust off. "Has she told you about Rusty Mane yet?"

Rusty Mane… Half-Beat shook her head in confusion. Octavia grinned, clearly excited to be able to tell a secret. "Rusty Mane is really cool! She's this redheaded teenage mare that Pine Tree has a crush on even though he's young enough to be her son! She's strong and she's brave—I know her picture's in here somewhere!" Octavia flipped through the yellowed pages eagerly.

Both fillies abruptly looked up as Pearl pushed open the half-closed door. Her eyes lit up as she saw the book. "Octavia, you found it! I didn't know where I'd put it."

"Where's the picture of Rusty Mane, Mother?" Octavia asked, not wasting any time. "I want to show Half-Beat!"

Pearl shrugged apologetically. "Sorry darling, I don't remember. But we can find it later. You have cello practice, remember?"

"Awww, but I don't wanna go," pouted Octavia.

"You need to practice if you're going to do a good job at your school performance this Hearth's Warming! Go on downstairs now; your father will take you today."

Octavia sighed reluctantly. "Yes, Mother." She quickly hugged Half-Beat goodbye and trotted down the hall. Pearl smiled at the shy little unicorn now. "So you enjoy the Gravity Foals stories, I presume?"

Half-Beat nodded and levitated the book, a question in her eyes. Pearl shook her head. "Not now, I'm afraid. Once Onyx takes Octavia to her cello practice he has a business lunch to go to, and I need to go with him. And you need to practice your magic a little more."

Half-Beat's ears drooped dejectedly. The last thing she wanted was to spend an entire afternoon by herself.

But Pearl wasn't done yet. "I've asked Princess Cadence to come take care of you for the afternoon. I'm sure she'll be delighted to see you!"

The excited little filly pawed the air and whinnied silently, no sound coming from her broken throat but the joy on her face the only reply necessary. Pearl laughed at Half-Beat's excitement. "Just don't overwhelm the princess with your energy, now!" She glanced up at the clock on the wall. "I need to go now, honey. Why don't you practice some magic to show Princess Cadence? I'm sure she'd love that."

As Pearl turned to leave, Half-Beat glanced around for something in particular to try levitating. Unable to decide, she levitated almost every small thing in the room: every book from the shelf, several toys and stuffed animals, and a few ceramic decorations from the windowsill. Levitating that much would have been a challenge for most teenage unicorns, let alone a blank-flank filly, and required all of Half-Beat's concentration to keep up.

Pearl suddenly reappeared in the door. "Half-Beat, I almost forgot—"

Startled, Half-Beat jumped to look at her adopted mother…and the spell was broken. Books, toys, and ceramics alike dropped to the floor with a collective _THUD_! Both ponies stared in shocked horror at the tiny decorations Octavia had loved, now broken in two or three pieces or crushed beneath a book.

Nervously, Half-Beat glanced up at Pearl to see the mare's usual smile was gone, replaced by a look of shock. Panic set in immediately. Sure, Pearl was nothing like her father but why take that chance? The filly dove for Octavia's bed and tried to scramble underneath.

"Half-Beat!" Pearl shouted, but Half-Beat ignored her in her blind panic to hide. Unfortunately Octavia's bed was low enough that Half-Beat was very much stuck. Her blind kicking accomplished nothing. As she finally stopped to catch her breath, a gentle pair of hooves began pulling her out. Unable to fight, Half-Beat began to silently weep in fear. This was it. Every time she'd ever broken something, the result had been the same.

Pearl tugged Half-Beat out and placed a hoof under her chin. Seemingly startled at Half-Beat's tears, she suddenly nodded and sighed. "Of course." She gently hugged the filly with one foreleg. "Half-Beat, sweetie, I'm not going to hit you. You dropped the books and decorations but I startled you. It's my fault too."

This was new. Half-Beat's tears slowed as she looked up at Pearl, once again smiling down at her. "Nothing that you do will ever be bad enough for me to hit you," Pearl promised. "And this time it's my fault too. Here, Onyx won't mind if I'm a little late. Let's put the books back. Octavia will want some new ceramic decorations but we both broke these, so let's both buy her new ones. I'll pay for half of them and you can save up some bits to pay for the other half. Okay?"

Half-Beat nodded slowly and Pearl hugged her again. "It's alright. Let's clean this up."


End file.
